Paul Weller the King of Mod has reigned for 40 odd years,Since back in the days of stay-pressed trousers and a dodgy pair of flares.From The Jam to The Style Council to the solo artist as He is right now,Maturing like a vintage wine the Guvnor shows the youngsters how.

It is easy to dismiss Weller’s final and rejected album for Polydor, Modernism: A New Decade. Recorded in 1989 and finally released in 1998, but by then the moment had gone. Modernism certainly witnessed a huge change in musical direction for Weller, the usual Soul, Pop, Funk and Jazz sound of The Style Council had been replaced by House Music,

In the music business, once you hit 30 you are considered over the hill, and this still applies in the 21st century. As far as middle-aged artists go, very few make an impact on the current generation, with most inclined to live off their back catalogue. They tour the world, coining it in with merchandising sales, and endless re-issues, and deluxe packaging of their greatest hits.

When I started work at Polydor in the early '70's, it was a dream come true. I'd worked at HMV records in Oxford Street for five years, and was bored with working in a shop, even though it was the biggest in Europe. Laurie Adams, who was Polydor's Tape Marketing Manager, turned up unexpectedly and took me out to lunch.

My reputation for what it’s worth is having worked with The Jam, The Style Council, and Paul Weller. I was 29 and had been working at Polydor for 5 years, before this I worked at the original HMV store at 363 Oxford Street, now sadly gone. Although I knew a lot about ‘Pop’ music, HMV hired me because I was knowledgeable about jazz music.

After being absent from the public eye for over a decade, Rick Buckler is back where he rightfully belongs. Playing the drums with a new band called The Gift. A live outfit that perform hits from Rick’s former band The Jam.

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ZANI was conceived in late 2008 and the fan base gradually grew by word of mouth. Key contributors came from those of the music, film and fashion industry and the voice of ZANI grew louder. So, when in 2013 investor, contributor and fan of ZANI Alan McGee* offered his support to help restyle and relaunch the site it was inevitable that traffic would increase dramatically and continues to grow. *Alan McGee co-founder of Creation Records and new label 359 Music..

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ZANI is an independent online magazine for readers interested in contemporary culture, covering Music, Film & TV, Sport, Art amongst other cultural topics. Relevant to modern times ZANI is a dynamic website and a flagship for creative movement and thinking wherever our readers live in the world.